Be Strong (TF)
by SoulofWoods
Summary: She was happy. She just graduated. She was preparing for her eighteenth birthday. What she wasn't expecting, though, was that her life would turn upside down when one evening a psycho robo-car barreled its way into her house, firing away at anything, whether it moves or not. She loses everything; her things, her house, her parents… But she knows she has to stay strong.
1. Prologue

The night was slowly engulfing the world in its dark veil, and the stars began to appear on the dark sky as a small, grey car parked in front of an equally small house in suburbs with a small, well kept front garden. Not a second after the car's engine turned off, a tall, brown haired girl dressed in graduation cap and gown shot out of it, hollering cheerfully. A middle-aged man with brown and grey hair, and a nice looking, blonde-haired woman came out of the car as well, but at the calmer manner than their daughter did. Nevertheless, both of them were smiling widely as their child ran up to the front door of the house, waving a diploma, a visible evidence of her freedom.

"I did it! I finally graduated!" she exclaimed in delight, twirling around with happy laughter. Her parents joined in joyous atmosphere, as proud of their daughter as they could ever be.

"Yeah, we know, Thea. As probably half the city by now." Her father teased, rolling his eyes playfully at the girl'santics. She beamed happily at him with a twinkle in her blue eyes, not fazed in the slightest by his words. She was used to it by now. "I know, I know. But, I'm just so happy I'm finally free from school until college! Plus, my eighteenth birthday's coming in two days, which totally rocks! I'm gonna be an adult!"

"That you are, sweetheart." Thea's mother smiled up at her, opening the front door to their house. "I can help you set up for the party, if you want, that is."

"Really? That'd be awesome!"

Thea stepped into the house along with her parents, all three of them making a cheerful noise, before it subsided as the door slammed shut. No one appeared to notice a black Cadillac with dimmed windows pull up to the side just a few meters away. If anyone would be perceptive enough, they'd notice the car had no driver, and a strange, bird-like insignia carved into the metal of front door handles.

Meanwhile, far away from the place, in a military hangar, a man dressed in a suit with a peculiar badge on his arm made his way towards a high platform where was a station filled with computers, monitors, and all sorts of similar machinery. He quickly went up the stairs, greeted his teammates with a curt nod, and examined images and readings popping up at the monitors. After a short amount of time the man spoke up.

"Are you absolutely sure it's not a false alarm?"

"Yes, sir." A soldier confirmed confidently. "We checked everything twice. There's no doubt about it."

"Well, guess we have a job to do, then." The man answered before he went to the side, punching a call button in his earplug. There was a moment of silence before a deep, slightly static baritone rang on the other end of the line.

.:What is it, major Lennox?:.

"We've got something, Prime. Get Sideswipe and meet me at the entrance in an hour."

:Understood. We will be there.:

"Great. See you then." Major Lennox then hung up. He glanced one more time at a black Cadillac, parked in suburbs, before he yelled to a crowd of soldiers swimming down below like the ocean.

"Get ready, people, we're going on a Decepticon hunt!"

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, Sheena here~ Here's another Transformers fanfiction for you guys, from Bayverse, cuz why not. This time, with an OC! Say hello to Thea~

Just please, take note English isn't my first language, so I can make a ton of grammar mistakes and don't even know about it, so every help in that matter would be greatly appreciated. :)


	2. Chapter 1: Crashing Down

The sun was breaking through soft, cream curtains, shining at the young girl's sleeping form with incredible persistence. Thea scrunched slightly at the disturbance, not wanting to wake up just yet. But eventually, she cracked her bright, blue eyes open to welcome the real world. She pulled herself up after a moment, and stretched with a satisfied sigh. It's so good to wake up at a random hour, knowing there's nothing to study for or no homework to do.

Thea eagerly jumped out of the bed and strolled towards the window, opening the curtains. A bright morning light flooded her room as the girl looked out the window with a grin dancing on her lips. If the weather tomorrow was going to be the same as today, then her birthday will be even better than ever.

A movement nearby on the street caught Thea's attention. A blue semi truck with red flames pulled up a few meters away from her house, followed closely by a silver Corvette. "Huh. Never thought a semi would look that cool. I wonder who it belongs to. Clearly no one from here though, since I see the truck for the first time." she mused, retreating further inside her room in search for some clothes to change. She found an olive tank top along with some jeans shorts, and also a pair of black sneakers. Perfect. The girl quickly changed into the clothing of her choosing, combed her brown hair into a loose ponytail, and with that, exited her room with a spring in her step.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted her parents cheerfully once she met them in the kitchen. They both said their respective greetings to their daughter whilst sitting by the kitchen table, the man eagerly eating his breakfast away, and the woman reading some fashion article while sipping her cup of coffee. Thea dived into the fridge in search for something edible for her own breakfast. "So, what's the plan for today, since we're all free?" she asked absently.

Her free day was obvious. Her mom, on the other hand, took a few days off earlier, to be able to celebrate her daughter's graduation and birthday in peace. It was the same reason for Thea's father to get a permit from his strict boss at the mechanic workshop. (dunno how it's called :P) Thea had no idea how he did it, but he did.

"I dunno, sweetheart. What do you have in mind?" he asked from over his breakfast.

"Oh, I have an idea." Thea's mom piped in. "We can go to that amusement park they opened in the center some time ago. It could be fun to check it out."

"Awesome! Now we're set, then." Thea grinned widely, placing her chosen breakfast in front of her as she sat down next to her dad.

In the meantime, a few more, seemingly military cars parked nearby the two unusual vehicles on both sides of the road. A group of men jumped out of the cars in a swift motion and made their way towards the semi. One of them knocked lightly against the driver's door, and then pointed at the black Cadillac parked over a dozen meters away. The semi revved up slightly, as if in confirmation, before it slowly moved forward along with the human squad.

On the other end of the road, the black Cadillac moved its rear mirrors in the direction of the group. It caught an all too familiar shape of semi truck, and an Autobot insignia on its front.

"Autobots! They think they've got me? Well, not this time, hell no."

A low growl escaped the insides of the vehicle before it abruptly broke apart, and started to transform with a sound of metal scraping against metal. Not a second later, an intimidating and ugly looking, black mech stomped against the concrete, aiming his mechanical arm-turned-missile launcher straight at the semi. "Take that, Autobot scum!" it yelled before firing away.

"Hey, Thea, did you decide which college are you going to?" Thea's dad asked out of nowhere. The girl blinked for a moment in surprise before she gulped down her portion, thinking of an answer. Then she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Acutally, dad…"

Her sentence was cut off by an unexpected explosion, sounding right outside the house. The blast wave broke the front windows and sent glass splinters into the air and onto the ground.

"What the bloody hell?!" Thea's dad exclaimed, running straight towards the nearest window, Thea hot on his heels. Soon, the two reached the window frame, and when Thea looked outside, she froze on her spot in pure shock. A giant, black robot was at the edge of their lawn, firing away at two other robots, one pure silver, and one blue with red markings. A group of men dressed in military suits were shooting back at the black robot, though it seemed they could only do as much as distract the giant as the other two did a real fighting.

"Holy shit… Thea, go back to your mother. Go, go go go!" Thea's dad pushed her backwards, following her just behind. Thea complied without any argument.

"Dad, what the hell are those things?!" she yelled, sprinting back to the kitchen.

"I have no idea, but we need to get outta here." Her dad responded as they entered the room.

"Tom? What's happening?"

Just as Thea's mother asked the question, the robot from earlier crashed right into their house, taking half of it with its giant body. Thea covered her head in a desperate attempt to shield herself from debris flying all around. She instinctively backed away along with her parents, hiding in the part of the house that still stood.

"Ugh, you glitch! I'll destroy you! All of you!" A loud voice boomed above humans' heads in rage. Thea looked up in awe at the black giant, who fired his missiles at his attackers once again. Did it just talk?!

Suddenly, the robot turned its head in Thea and her parents' direction. Its bloody red, robotic eyes narrowed once it spotted humans openly gawking at it in horror. "What are you staring at, you fleshbags?" it growled out, pointing its missile launcher at them.

Right then, the blue and red robot rushed into Thea's vision, hitting the arm the threatening weapon was attached to with an enraged shout. The action caused the launcher go up, sending an activated missile sky high.

"We need to move. Move, move, move!" Thea's dad shouted to his wife and daughter, pushing them towards the newly made hole in the house. They both obeyed without a word and quickly escaped now destroyed building. "Faster, faster!" Thea's dad yelled once and again, urging his family to speed up while running after them at full speed. Thea didn't need any encouragement though, running way ahead of her mother. Just to get away from a freaky robo-killer.

The Decepticon glared at Optimus Prime in fury, as the two clashed against each other above the remnants of a human house. "You…"

"Do not involve human civilians into our fight. They have nothing to do with that." Prime cut him off. The mech snorted in mocking amusement pushing his opponent away.

"Heh, look who's talking. You brought fleshlings along yourself. Augh!" he cried out as a stinging pain erupted in his back plates. He shot a fiery glare at whoever dared to attack him, which happen to be the silver mech, Sideswipe, who was shooting his guns at the Decepticon from his position on the road. "You want some of me? Take that!"

The black mech fired a bunch of missiles at Sideswipe and, unbeknown to them all, in the direction of the running human family. Sideswipe skillfully dodged them all though, and rushed towards the Decepticon, striking one of his swords at the black mech. The blade hit directly the Decepticon's spark chamber, piercing through the metal, and offlining the mech as his dead body crumbled down onto the ground.

But Thea didn't hear that at all, her ears filled with the sound of explosions coming dangerously close to her and her parents. Tears pricked at her eyes in fear whilst her father yelled once more. "Faster-"

Right then, a sudden blow cut off his words and replaced it with a pair of pained screams. Thea didn't have time to react as a burst of hot air sent her flying a few meters into the air. She came crashing down onto a cold concrete. Hard.

For a moment, Thea saw nothing, heard nothing. Then, her fogged mind powered up as her eyes cracked opened. From the position she was lying, Thea saw not much of the events that were happening around her, especially with her sight being all fuzzy, and an enormous headache now killing her from the inside. A loud noise invaded her ears, and as unknown shouts neared the girl, in her peripheral vision appeared blurred images of heavily booted legs. She clumsily tried to get back on her feet, but felt her arms to waver and almost fall back onto the ground, when a pair of muscled arms caught her mid-fall

"Got'cha. Easy there, kid."

A foreign, male voice rang in Thea's ears. She leaned her weight against the stranger, too weak to do anything more. Her head was hurting. Her whole body was hurting. How was she even in one piece? As her vision sharpened, Thea recognized the stranger as a peculiarly dressed soldier, along with those running all around the street. Thea's eyes wandered away from her supporter as her confused mind tried to comprehend what did just happen. Where were her parents?

Two bodies lying on the ground nearby in strange positions caught her eye. Thea's blood ran cold as she recognized them as the people she was looking for. "Mom… Dad!" she cried out, trying to run towards her parents' unmoving bodies. The soldier tightened the grip he had on the girl, pulling her slightly backwards. Some other soldiers rushed towards the lying figures and quickly checked if the man and the woman were still alive. After a moment, their heads lowered or shook slightly.

Hot tears streamed down Thea's face while she watched with wide eyes as her parents' bodies were put into black bags and taken away. Dead. They were dead. Her parents were dead.

"Miss, please, come with us."

Another soldier came up to Thea. His request fell on deaf ears, as Thea continued to stare off into the distance.

"C'mon, kid." The soldier that was holding Thea pulled slightly at her arm, throwing the girl out of her stupor. She hesitantly let the men lead her into one of the vans along with the rest of the unit. She remained silent all the way until the doors were shut after her. Then, she bursted into tears with a pained cry.

Her house was destroyed, thanks to a giant robot on a rampage. Her parents were killed by a missile fired by said robot.

She had nothing. She was alone.

She lost everything.

* * *

 _A/N: Gosh, I feel so weird writing in a 3rd person all of the sudden. I just keep on reverting to writing "you" instead of "Thea", lmao_

 _Anyway, how did it go so far? Interesting enough to keep going? Let me know, I always love to read your comments :)_


	3. Chapter 2: Get back up

Thea stared off into space, sitting on a chair in a small, enclosed room. The redness of her dull, blue eyes showed clearly she cried, and shadows under them revealed lack of sleep. The food given to her was laying on the table in front of her, barely touched. She had changed her torn, dirty clothes a while ago when she was put in the room, and now a plain, gray T-shirt and comfy pants were hiding most of the bandages she was covered in. In fact, she had so many bandages, she could be mistaken with a mummy. Thankfully, nothing was broken, and the fabric was covering only a vast amount of bruises, cuts, grazes and scratches. On Thea's right cheek, close to her broken lip, a band-aid hid a quite nasty cut. This'll probably gonna scar.

Suddenly, the door's opened, letting two men into the room. Thea recognized one of them as the soldier that first caught her when she almost collapsed onto the ground. He was a bald black man, dressed in the uniform from earlier, same as his companion, who was foreign to Thea.

The stranger, which was a white man with chestnut hair, sit on the opposite side of the table, while the other one stopped nearby, leaning slightly against the wall. "Thea Adams?" when he earned a hesitant nod from Thea, he reached towards her with an open hand. "Major William Lennox, and this is Chief Master Sergeant, Robert Epps. Nice to meet you."

Thea glanced for a moment towards the black man, who gave her a small nod, before she shook Lennox's hand and replied gingerly, her voice cracking slightly; "Likewise."

Major Lennox frowned slightly at Thea's obvious distress. It was inevitable though, considering what the kid has been through just yesterday.

"I'm sorry for your loss. If it helps in some way, the terrorists that attacked your neighborhood have been captured…" Lennox was caught off guard as the girl suddenly shot up. "Terrorist?! What are you talking about?! There was this giant friggin' robot, fighting those two other robots while turning everything to the ground level!"

The black man, Epps, tensed slightly on his spot while his sitting companion chuckled nervously, trying to hide his uneasiness.

"Listen, Miss, I know it's hard to cope with the death of your parents, I really do, but you were hit pretty hard from that bomb explosion, and…"

"No, you listen!" Thea's sudden burst of cold anger shut the man up effectively. "I don't know what you're trying to accomplish by telling me I was seeing things, but I know what I saw. A giant, black robot broke into my property, destroyed my house along probably half of the neighborhood, with all the stuff that was there, and… …A-and killed my parents." The girl slumped against the chair, looking down at her bandaged hands as the fire inside her body burned out, leaving only an infinite amount of pain and eyes once more welling up with tears.

The men looked at each other, silent messages exchanging between them, and then Lennox let out a heavy sigh. Turns out, the girl wasn't going to be persuaded, no matter what.

"Look." He spoke up solemnly, catching Thea's attention. "We can't convince you what you saw was an illusion, I see that now. But they, the things you saw, they're top secret. Nobody can know about them. Not civilians, at least. Do you get where I'm going here?" Thea furrowed her brows at that, but nodded nevertheless.

"Heh. You've got some fire in you after all, huh, kid." Epps piped in with a smirk, folding his arms. Thea sent him a glare in response.

"Today's my eighteenth birthday, for your information. I'm not a kid anymore."

"So," Lennox drew her focus back to him. "Can I assume you'll keep everything that happened the other day to yourself?"

There was a long, quiet pause, whilst Thea rubbed her chin slightly, seemingly deep in thought. The soldiers shifted nervously, waiting for her response. If she wasn't going to cooperate, they all were in a heap of trouble.

Eventually, the girl spoke up softly. "I wanna see them."

"Huh?" the men exchanged surprised looks.

"Those two other robots. I know you're with them, so you know where they are. I want to see them." Thea gave both of them a stern look that said 'I am not taking NO as an answer.'

"…Well? What are we gonna do, Will?" Epps whispered quietly to his companion. After a moment of silence, Lennox sighed once more, and then stood up abruptly.

"Wait here. I need to make a call." was all he said before he turned his back to Thea and scooted to a far corner of the room, turning on his comm.-link. Soon, a familiar baritone reached his ears.

.:Hello, Major Lennox.:.

"Hey, Optimus."

.:How is the situation over there?:.

"Well, the government managed to cover up pretty much everything. The official version for the public is some terrorist decided to play bomber man, and the girl that's been caught in the crossfire is doing pretty well, I think, nothing broken at least. But… there's a problem."

.:…What is it, major Lennox?:.

"The girl… she wants to see you guys."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before the voice returned.

.:Very well.:.

"Are you sure, Optimus? I don't know what she's going to do when she sees you…"

.:I am sure. If that is what she wants, then so be it.:.

Lennox frowned at that. He knew Optimus was doing this because of the death of Thea's parents, but he wasn't sure if it's a good idea. The girl could do anything once facing the Autobots, from lashing out at them like a mad woman to screaming at the top of her lungs in terror. The man sighed for a third time this day.

"Okay, if you say so. We'll be there in a few hours. I'll let you know when we're close so you can be ready."

.:Understood. I will see you then, major Lennox.:.

Then, the line was cut off. Lennox turned back to Thea, putting a serious look on his face. "Alright, we've got the permission. Are you ready, Miss Adams?"

Thea immediately got up from her spot, determination coming from her in full force.

"Yes, sir."

"Great. Follow me." Lennox ordered, reopening the door and stepping out of the room. Thea hastily followed him, and Epps was the one closing the door after them.

The trio made their way through a labyrinth of corridors, and then out of the building towards awaiting helicopter. The two men went inside the machine, and Thea did the same, seating herself at the right window. The helicopter took off, and soon they were in the air, flying through many states of America. While Thea watched dully passing cities and landscapes, the events from previous day and sleepless night finally started to get to her. The steady sound of helicopter engine also helped in the matter, and soon the girl was breathing softly as her mind was getting a well deserved rest.

It was the feeling of the entire machine shaking when Thea snapped out of the dreamland. The helicopter was landing in the airport of what seemed like a military base. It fitted the situation, actually. 'Cause, duh, where's better place to hide giant robots than in a secret government base?

Epps jumped out of the helicopter first, and then helped Thea out. The girl was a bit stiff from her slumber, and her injuries weren't helping. Once all of them were out, Lennox led the group towards one of the many hangars.

"Okay, here we are."

Thea looked around the place. It was filled with lots and lots of machinery, metal parts and tools. Some were looking really weird, some Thea recognized from her father's work. The memory of her parent sent a painful sting in her heart. There were also stairs leading to a catwalk up high in the hangar, and strange, giant tables, resembling slightly hospital beds.

… Alien beds?

Lennox and Epps went up onto the catwalk, and Thea tentatively followed their lead. A wave of anxiety flew through her body as she settled between the men.

What? She was going to meet a freaky metal giant. She had every right to feel anxious, and she certainly didn't take any chances of her being squashed by it.

"Um… where is it… I-I mean, he?" she asked hesitantly, scanning the empty room warily.

"He's been training up until now. He'll be there in a minute." Lennox gave Thea a reassuring smile when he noticed her tense demeanor. "Don't worry, kid. He's a good guy."

Thea huffed slightly, sending the man an irritated look. "I'm not a kid."

Right then, a honk sounded through the air, and a moment later a large, blue semi with red flames rolled into the hangar. Thea's eyed widened slightly at the sight. She saw this semi before.

"I-Is this…"

Before she could stutter more, the semi suddenly let out a strange noise, and then it broke up into pieces of metal that started to move around like a giant puzzle. Whirls, clicks and clangs resonated in the room as metal scraped against metal. In a split second the moving mass took a form of a huge metal torso, along with two legs, arms, and finally, an oddly humanoid face appeared on top of it all. The creature gazed down at Thea, even if she stood high up in the air. This thing had to be 30 feet tall! Or more!

"You… you're that truck that parked yesterday near my house…" she muttered quietly.

"Yes." The creature answered in a deep, yet soothing baritone.

Thea sensed he wasn't going to cause her any harm, and she let her body to relieve some tension with a low breath. She studied the metal giant carefully, taking in all of his form.

His board shoulders were painted mostly red, with two pieces of windshield on his chest, while his arms and legs were a mix of red and blue paint. His head was painted blue, minus face that was plain, silver metal, and he had some sort of antennas in the places where his ears would be. But what really stood out in his appearance, were his electric blue eyes, staring at Thea with such intensity she'd swear he was able to read deep into her soul. He radiated a strong aura of authority and power, standing tall in his place like a mountain. But it wasn't an intimidating aura. She'd feel no danger would come to her from this magnificent colossus.

"…Who are you?" Thea finally asked, her eyes connected with his.

"My name is Optimus Prime." The giant spoke. "We are autonomous robotic organisms from a planet Cybertron."

"We?" Thea gave him a quizzical look.

"There's more of them than just Optimus and that other robot, but we thought you don't need to meet all of them right now." Lennox piped in. Thea gave him a small nod of understanding and appreciation for an answer. She then returned her attention to the giant robot named Optimus Prime.

"So… you're like, aliens?"

"That is correct."

"Why are you here?"

"We are here to defend your kind from the Decepticon foes, who remain on this planet after the battle of Mission City."

The name stirred some memories in Thea's mind. She was never in the Mission City, yes. But the girl remember reading some papers and watching news about a huge disaster that happened in the city just several weeks ago.

"So, I assume the giant that smashed into my house was a Decepticon…?" Thea murmured softly, sadness and pain filling her eyes at the horrible memory as she glanced to the side. Optimus frowned slightly, seeing the girl's visible suffering. "Yes, it was." He paused for a moment, and then spoke in a much softer tone. "I am deeply sorry for your loss, young one."

This prove of empathy made Thea realize she still didn't introduce herself despite him patiently answering all her, probably rude, questions.

"It's Thea… Thea Adams." She gave him her name absentmindedly. Then, her pained expression softened, and she raised her gaze back up to meet his careful, robotic eyes. "Thank you."

There was a moment of silence while both men and the giant stared at Thea in a well hidden surprise. Optimus was certainly taken aback by her sudden display of gratitude. From what he had learned, living on this planet, humans have the tendency to blame the first possible person for any tragic event in their life before they even consider thinking it through. Yet, here was that young femme, covered in bandages so much her skin was rarely visible, thanking him despite the fact he was involved in her parents' death.

"For what are you thanking me, Miss Adams?"

"For saving my life."

"Are you not… blaming us for the death of your guardians?"

Thea looked to the side in response. "For some time, I actually did. But I had a whole night to think it over, and then some… and I figured it's not right." When her statement was met with even more confused looks, she shifted slightly. "I-I mean… What I'm trying to say is, I know my parents are dead, but… it wasn't your fault they died, it was that robot. And if you didn't stop the Decepticon, or whatever, from shooting us when we were still in the house, I'd probably be dead as well by now. You could've care less and let it kill us all, but you didn't. And so… thank you that I'm still alive."

Optimus looked into those blue eyes of human female standing in front of him. And he spotted something. A spark of determination, of a will to live, strong enough to pull thought any obstacle. This girl was strong.

"…You are very welcome."

* * *

A/N: It was a bit hard to write it, but fun nonetheless. Just hope it turned out at least somewhat believable... T-T

But what will happen with Thea, now that she's alone and homeless? We'll see soon enough. ;)


	4. Chapter 3: Nebula

**A/N: Well hello there, dear readers~ Here comes another chapter of Thea's story. And a new, big change is coming her way. Are you ready for this? Because, frankly, I'm not. xD**

 **Enjoy~ :D**

* * *

A loud noise and blaring lights coming from a nearby hangar were what woke up Thea from her peaceful slumber. The girl groaned in annoyance, covering her head with a blanket sprawled on her body in a failed attempt to separate herself from the rest of the cruel world.

" _Autobots Optimus Prime, Ironhide, and the twins, report to hangar 3, I repeat, Autobots Optimus Prime…_ "

Thea cracked her eyes open at the announcement, and, after a long moment, she dragged herself from her temporary bed with a tired mumble.

It was a couple of days after she met Optimus Prime, as well as the rest of the Autobots. Thea was reluctant at first, being quite intimidated by the metal giants, but eventually warmed up to every member of N.E.S.T. squad, and forged some kind of acquaintance with each Autobot.

The government wasn't exactly sure what to do with her, since she had a direct contact with alien robots, and lost both her home and her parents in the process, so they agreed to Lennox's request to place her in the Autobot base for some time.

Thea hesitantly agreed to that, mildly annoyed the mayor still treated her like a child, which she was, by law, not. The request was oddly suspicious to Thea, so the girl nagged the soldier for those past days for the reason why did he say such a thing, last night included. Unfortunately, Lennox gave her some vague response about stress coming from sudden change of place, and that it was great opportunity for Thea to watch alien species.

She didn't buy it.

Therefore, she planned to ask the person, or the mech, as she learned the term from the Autobot medic named Ratchet, she was one hundred percent sure he'd know something. Optimus Prime.

So, with blue eyes half lidded, and a soft blanket wrapped around her body, Thea made her way out of her temporary, human-sized room and into the larger part of the hangar she resided in. It was the only hangar that possessed free rooms good enough for humans to actually sleep in, the rest being occupied either by soldiers, Autobots, or working as warehouses and the like, so meh. Another thing, it was right next to the hangar the human-Autobot teams usually gathered. Thea strolled over to the entrance of that particular hangar in her green, silky pajamas, not caring in the slightest about weird stares she earned from passing soldiers. Just as she entered the place, a blue and red semi drove in.

Thea awoke at the sight of the Autobot leader completely, and a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. She greatly enjoyed every moment she spent with Optimus so far, making a small talk every now and then, even if it was just a few days since she met him. He gave off that calming, protective aura every time they met, and it was like a balsam on her soul.

The girl scurried quickly after the semi, not wanting to miss out on any part of 'the magic show', as she personally dubbed the Autobot transformations.

Once the semi pulled up, its parts split into hundreds of pieces, and with a stirring noise they started to change. A few seconds later, the magnificent frame of the Autobot leader stood high above every human being in the hangar.

Thea couldn't have had enough of watching him transform. Sure, she saw other Autobots transform too, but there was something magical in the way Optimus did it, she couldn't help but stare. The mech greeted his underlings as they approached him, and then, his gaze landed on Thea's small form beneath his large pedes.

"Good morning, Miss Adams."

A blush crept up Thea's cheeks, but then she pursed her lips after she was thrown out of her stupor. She wasn't a child, yes, but it still felt weird being called by your last name. She convinced almost everyone to call her by her name, though for some reason, Optimus displayed an impressive stubbornness in naming her like _that_. Then, a sly smirk appeared on Thea's face as she decided to play by Prime's rules, for once.

"Good morning, Optimus Prime."

A frown ghosted over Optimus' stoic expression for a split second. No one would've spotted it, Thea included, if she wasn't currently staring intently at his faceplates.

"It is not necessary to address me in a formal way, Miss Adams." The mech protested gently at Thea's choice of name. The girl gave the giant a fake smile while she retorted with a sugar sweet tone. "If you want me to call you differently than your full name, I think the only fair option in this case is if you call me by my first name, not the last."

Optimus' optic ridges scrunched slightly, and after a moment of silence he let out an inaudible sigh. "Very well."

Thea grinned widely in response. If she managed to FINALLY convince Optimus Prime to change his mind, she should be able to get the information she wanted. "Awesome. Optimus, I've got a quick question, do you know maybe…"

" _All_ _units to their positions. I repeat, all units to their positions._ "

Thea's smile fell in an instant, and she glared in the general direction of the voice that ruined her perfect opportunity. Damn you, speakers.

"It appears it is my time to leave. We can continue our conversation later, if you want, Miss Thea."

Thea clicked her tongue in annoyance. So much for interrogating Optimus. Nevertheless, the girl gave the mech a lopsided smile as a response.

"Yeah, sure. I'd love that."

She waved a goodbye to the leaving mech, followed by the rest of the assigned team. Once they all took off towards awaiting cargo airplanes, her smile vanished into thin air, replaced by a deep frown. She's had enough already, not knowing what was happening. Sadly, the only thing she could do now was to occupy herself with something until Optimus is back. Her gaze wandered around the base, and finally landed on the remaining individuals in the room, which happened to be Ratchet and Sideswipe. Arcee's femme squad was nowhere to be seen.

The girl strolled over to the mechs, getting curious as she spotted large things known as data pads sprawled on a Cybertronian sized desk, and one in Ratchet's servo.

"Hey guys. What'cha doing over there?"

The Autobots turned to Thea from the spots they occupied, with a slight annoyance on the Cybertronian medic's faceplates, and curious amusement on the silver mech's.

"Nothing of your concern, Thea." The medic replied dryly. He was still warming up to her, but the girl didn't blame him. She was that way too for the most part of her stay here, so, no hard feelings. Sideswipe snickered a bit before pointing his digit at the girl.

"Nice hair you have there, kiddo."

Thea immediately realized she still had her bed hair on, and red painted her cheeks as she sent a death glare at the snickering mech.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Sideswipe. If you still didn't notice, I'm not a kid. Can I take a look at those data pads you have there, Ratchet?"

Said mech gave Thea an incredulous look in response. "Those have the most important information about Cybertronian biology. I doubt you would be able to even comprehend it, child."

Thea narrowed her eyes slightly. "My dad was a mechanic. And as much as I noticed, you guys have many mechanical parts. So, with my knowledge of mechanics combined with human biology, yes, I believe I CAN comprehend it." The girl retorted sassily, furrowing her brows as she folded her arms. Ratchet sent her a skeptical look before turning back to whatever he was working on.

"It's not about human biology, nor technology, if you didn't notice. And even if what you say is true, I don't see in what that knowledge would be needed for you. You're not going to stay here long enough to make any use for it anyway."

Thea froze as the information dawned on her. Ratchet was right. The girl probably wasn't going to spend much longer than a few weeks at best at the base. Then, she'd return to her normal life, and eventually be forced to forget about those sometimes annoying, but amazing creatures made of metal.

A cold feeling crept at the back of Thea's mind. She knew it sounded ridiculous, but she didn't want to say goodbye to them. Not so soon after she lost her parents. She didn't want to be alone again.

"Thea? You okay?" Sideswipe's slightly concerned voice threw the girl out of her train of thought. She shook her head a bit, and then flashed the mech a strained smile. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay. I think I'm gonna go back to bed. I'm still dead tired after all that crap from past few days."

Then, she promptly turned on her heel and marched out of the hangar, followed by confused, and a bit concerned stares from the two Autobots.

For the rest of the day, after Thea made herself look presentable, the girl paced around her temporary room, not being able to rest for a moment thanks to the words Ratchet said nagging at her on and on. Thea bit her lip nervously, desperately trying to find any, even the tiniest reasonable excuse to stay at the base for a while longer. She just lost parents a few days ago, and she wasn't ready for parting ways with anyone else, be it human or giant alien robot.

Suddenly, a knock sounded on Thea's bedroom door. She jumped in surprise, but quickly collected herself and called out. "Come in."

A familiar figure of major Lennox entering her room took her by surprise. "Will? Hey! I'm assuming you guys returned from the mission already?"

"Yeah. I just came by to check on you. Sides' and Ratchet mentioned you acted weird earlier, and didn't come out of here ever since you locked yourself in."

"O-Oh, heh…" Thea sheepishly scratched her right cheek, the place where her still quite fresh scar was. It was turning into a habit, scratching it when she was nervous. "It's nothing, really." Then, an idea popped in girl's mind. "Hey, Will… is there, by any chance, some way I could, oh, I dunno… stay at the base? I mean, permanently?"

At first, the response Thea got from Lennox was a greatly surprised look. But it quickly turned into a wide grin, and the man let out an amused chuckle.

"Funny you ask. I was going to save it for later, but I think I can tell you now, kid. You know you can join the army now that you're a major, right?" Thea nodded her head, a spark of curiosity flashing in her eyes. "So, I was wondering if you wanted to… join the N.E.S.T."

"…That's possible?"

"Yeah. Me and Epps can take care of most of the paper work, and you can learn needed skills here at the base like the rest of new recruits, plus probably take some lessons online, but everything can be pretty much arranged, as long as you want to join, that is."

Thea hesitated for a moment. That's the opportunity she waited for, yes, but… join the army? Was she even qualified for that kind of thing?

"Can I think about it for a while?" She asked tentatively.

"Sure. Remember, it's your choice. If you feel you're not ready, we can always get you some nice apartment in California, or something." Lennox chuckled lightly. "It's the least we can do for you after all that."

Thea gave him a lopsided smile in response, and the man exited her room soon afterward. The girl looked around her room, unsure what to do now. Her gaze turned to the window, which showed a beautiful spectacle of colors accompanying the sunset. She then decided to take a small walk around the island to clear her head. It was better than being cooped up in the room for the whole day anyway.

Thea slowly made her way towards the small beach a bit away from the barracks, saying 'hi' to the soldiers passing her by. Soon, she reached the sandy shore, and roamed around for a bit to eventually sit down on the sand not far from the sea.

A muffled sound of heavy footsteps reached Thea's ears, and when she turned, her eyes were met with the metal frame of Optimus Prime. The mech was slowly making his way over to the girl, the setting sun reflecting off of his armor, making him look like he was on fire. The sight took Thea's breath away for a moment there. The Autobot leader stood beside her small figure.

"Hello, Miss Thea."

"… Hey, Optimus."

Prime noticed Thea's gloomy mood in an instant. She didn't seem to ever hide any of her feelings, as he was able to notice in the short time she's spent in the base. If she was happy, she laughed, if she was sad, she cried. If she was angry, she cursed at anything that moved in her sight. It was the freedom he envied in her. But Optimus Prime was the leader. He had to keep his feelings in check, for both his and his subordinates' sake.

"May I ask, what is wrong?" he inquired softly. The girl shrugged, her gaze returning to the landscape she admired previously. "Not much. Just trying to cope with my parents' death, moving here, you know, the usual stuff. Oh, and Lennox asked me to join the N.E.S.T."

At that, Optimus gave Thea a strange look. "Why would major Lennox want you to join us?"

"I have no idea." She said with a tint of amusement. "Do you think I should do this?"

Prime eyed the girl for a minute before he answered. "If you wish to join N.E.S.T, you must be prepared for many hardships. As cruel as it may sound, it is not a place for the weak. But, it is your decision to make, Miss Thea, not mine."

"Yeah, I heard that one before." Thea chuckled lightly before amusement in her eyes died down and was replaced by a far look. She seemed deep in thought, rubbing absentmindedly her scar, and a long silence followed afterwards. Both mech and the girl were staring off at the beautiful spectacle the sun presented far on the distant sea waves.

"So much happened my life for those past days…" Thea murmured. "I think it's impossible to return to who I was once…"

Optimus gave her a quick glance before he spoke up softly. "Among my people, there is a certain custom. If something happens in Cybertronian's life, something with such intensity it greatly affects their spark itself, they can change their name."

"Spark? What's this?"

"The very essence of our being. In human terms, it takes place of a heart, or a soul."

"Oh, I see… Yeah, you can say my heart's changed." Thea snickered lightly. "… You think I can do that too? I mean, change my name."

"If that is what you wish." Optimus replied quietly, carefully studying Thea's expression. The girl stared off in the distance thoughtfully, before a pleased smile made its way onto her features. "I think I have one. And, Optimus…" she looked up at the mech beside her. "I will be strong. I promise."

A gentle smile was Optimus' only response.

Soon, Optimus and Thea together returned to the base, and entered the Autobot common room talking with each other. They earned a few surprised, but at the same time quite amused looks, mainly from Jolt, Mudflap and Skids, who were in there as well.

"Welcome back, kiddo. Your walk was enjoyable?" Epps walked up to the girl, giving her a sly grin. The girl ignored that however, and answered with all honesty she could give, beaming at the man. "Yeah! The sunset was just breathtaking! Oh, and tell Will I'm gonna take him up on his offer, but only on one condition."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I want you all to call me by my new name."

The girl received confused looks from both Epps, Jolt, and the twins. They all looked at each other in astonishment.

"And that name would be?" Jolt inquired. Thea's lips twitched slightly in response. The girl took a small breath before she looked up at everyone in the room, a wide grin plastered on her face.

"Nebula." She answered. "My name is Nebula."

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 **A/N: Sorry to still keep you here, but, just before I forget. Somewhere during the week I'm probably gonna upload a chapter of 'Spark and Soul'. Just a small heads up for those of you who are waiting for it, and for those who don't know this fic, you're free to check it out~ ;)**

 **Sheena out :P**


	5. Chapter 4: Little Talks

**A/N: Aand a chapter where Nebula bonds a little bit with Optimus. ^^ Though after having a nightmare, so... a bit of angst and a bit of fluff, I suppose. I dunno. Sue me :P**

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It was way past midnight at the base. Everyone was asleep, or in recharge, as Autobots would say, save for those who were on guard duty. One would say it was a peaceful night… if it wasn't for a single, small figure, alone in one of the rooms, tossing and turning under the sheets in a restless sleep.

"N-no… please… go away… s-stop… mom… dad… watch out…"

Optimus was peacefully recharging on his berth in his room, the rest of his team in their respective private areas. Prime's processor drifted off back to Cybertron, before the war begun. It was such an amazing place…

Suddenly, a shout cut though the night, throwing the Autobot leader from his sleep. The mech jumped up from his berth, ready to defend himse if needed. But the only sight that greeted him, was an empty and quiet room. Confusion spiked in Optimus' processor as he scanned the place in search of the weird noise. He heard something, he was sure of it. But, what it was exactly?

Then, it was heard again, this time quieter, and sounding more like a whimper. It was coming from the outside. Ever so carefully, not to awake anyone, Optimus made his way out of the hangar and into the night. His audio receptors once again caught strange noises, which now took form of choked sobs. Prime scanned the area the sounds were coming from, and soon he spotted one, slightly open window in the hangar wall not so far from his own. He knew instantly, who it was. The mech directed his steps in that direction.

Nebula covered her mouth in failed attempt to muffle her breathing as she sobbed quietly. God, it was a few weeks since she's been living here already, but this nightmare was the worst so far. The girl gulped down the lump in her throat, trying to calm herself down.

Then, a sound of big footsteps reached Nebula's ears, and she knew who it was almost instantly. Every Autobot let out a unique sound when they were walking, and she learned to pick up those differences. She swiftly sat up, and the next moment a pair of electric blue optics was shining at her through the window. The girl scurried quickly towards Optimus Prime, hunched down to her room's height. It'd be quite funny sight for Nebula, if she wasn't so shaken up from her dream. The girl opened the window and greeted happily a cold, fresh air that rushed past her. She gave the Prime a stained smile, but before she could say anything, the giant beat her to it.

"Are you alright, Nebula? I heard screaming."

"Oh, uh, I-I'm okay, really. Just had a nightmare." Nebula scratched her right cheek nervously, and Optimus frowned slightly in response. He knew what a nightmare was in human terms, and he had a pretty good idea what Nebula's nightmare was about.

"Do you want company?" he asked softly.

Nebua gave him a surprised look, but after a moment of hesitance she nodded slightly. Optimus raised an open palm to her height in return, and the girl climbed out the window and onto his servo. The mech straightened up and placed her on his shoulder so he was left with both his servos free. "Hold tight." He instructed her, and Nebula grabbed a piece of Optimus' shoulder plates as he started climbing up onto the building's roof. Once he reached the roof, ha sat on top of it, with Nebula securely placed on his shoulder.

"Do you want to tell what your nightmare was about?" Optimus asked.

"Nah. I just… want a good company to stargaze." Nebula shot Optimus a half-hearted smile in response, and then her eyes turned towards the beautiful night sky. The mech's gaze soon followed her, and they both stared off into dark space in a comfortable silence. The sky was almost clear, with few, small clouds flowing lazily on the north horizon, and making the stars twinkle in and out of sight once and again. Nebula watched the stars of Orion's Belt when a thought occurred to her.

"What was Cybertron like?"

Optimus snapped his helm towards her small form, taken aback by an unexpected question. "Well…" he answered after a moment. "It was an amazing place, full of light and beauty."

"And everything was made of metal, right?" Nebula cut in with a cheeky grin. What she didn't expect though, was to hear Prime chuckle in response. It was low, rich, and rumbled deep in his chest, resonating thoroughly though Nebula's body.

"Yes, it was. Towers made of transformium, our metal, were rising high into the sky, and the streets were shining in the light of the sun through the day, and in the glow of two moons at night. We were once a peaceful race, living in harmony. Until…" Optimus paused for a bit, and Nebula noticed a tint of pain washing through his faceplates in a split second. She was amazed by how the mech's able to control his emotions so well.

"Until?" she inquired gently.

"… Until, we were betrayed by a mech named Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. And so, the War of Cybertron began. It consumed and destroyed our home, and eventually led us upon this very planet, in search of the AllSpark, a powerful relic, capable to restore our world."

"But you're still here. Did something happen to it?"

"It was destroyed, killing Megatron, so it would not be used to cause harm." Optimus answered in a grim voice.

"Oh." Nebula slumped slightly in response. She realized the mech she was sitting on wasn't much different than she was. He lived through so much pain and sorrow. It wouldn't be a surprise if he also lost someone dear to him, long ago. Nebula didn't feel right, making him remember painful memories, so she decided to change the topic to a lighter tone. "Where's Cybertron? I mean, not exactly, but where should I look from where we are?"

Optimus, thrown back from the world of memories, hummed faintly, scanning the night sky in search of the right direction. "I am not sure myself. After all, Cybertron is many light years from Earth. But, if anything, I would say it is somewhere… there." He pointed his digit a small constellation slightly to the left to them, high above their heads.

"Uh-huh." Nebula murmured with her gaze fixated on the point, memorizing it.

Suddenly, a glimpse of light flashed through the sky.

"Omigosh, it's a shooting star! Quick, make a wish!" the girl exclaimed in excitement, clasping her hands and shutting her eyes tight in concentration. Prime shot Nebula a quizzical look, but when she didn't move from her spot, he asked, "Make a wish?"

Nebula opened one eye with a wide grin on her face. "It's an earth custom." She explained. "If you see a shooting star, and you make a wish upon it, your wish will come true."

Optimus gave her a skeptical glance. "I do not think that wishing upon a burning meteorite would grant you anything."

His blunt statement sent Nebula into fits of laughter. The sound made Prime stare at the girl in bewilderment. It was the first time she laughed that openly, and so loud. He worried for a minute she'd wake up someone at the base. But also… he realized he liked the sound of her laughter. So he let her on anyway.

"I don't think so too." Nebula wiped some tears with a snicker. "It's just a custom. No need to take it seriously."

Optimus nodded at that. "What did you wish for?"

"Ah, ah, ah. There's that rule, if you tell anyone your wish, it won't be fulfilled, so no telling."

"… You humans have strange customs."

"Said an alien robot." Nebula retorted cheekily with a grin before her mouth opened wide as a huge yawn made its way out into the open. Optimus smirked slightly at the sight.

"I suppose it is time to end our conversation."

"I guess." Nebula rubbed her eyes tiredly, and gave out yet another yawn. "Besides, my N.E.S.T. training starts tomorrow. I mean, today in the morning."

"Then let us take you to your berth." With that, Optimus quickly slid down onto the ground below, and stood by Nebula's window. He outstretched his servo towards the open space, and the girl climbed down it like she was hiking a mountain, and finally jumped inside her room. She quickly turned to the Prime with a smile.

"Thanks for a small talk, Optimus. I had fun."

"You are welcome, Nebula. I enjoyed it also."

Nebula fiddled for a few minutes with her pajama shirt before she spoke up once again. "Hey, Optimus… do you think I'll do well at the training?"

Optimus sensed nervousness coming from the girl. He smiled encouragingly in response. "I am sure you will do. Do not worry, today is going to be a good day."

Nebula returned Optimus' smile, slightly relieved by his words. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Night, Optimus."

"Good night, Nebula." Said the mech before he headed back towards his hangar. Nebula watched him go for a minute, and then jumped on her bed and quickly buried herself in blankets with a content sigh. She had a good feeling towards today's training. Yeah. It's going to be a good day.

"Wake up, sleepy head! Time to get yourself together and start your training!"

Epps' rambunctious yell, followed by a deafening sound of her bedroom door hitting the wall startled Nebula awake. The girl let out a long, tired moan from under the pile of blankets she was buried in.

It was NOT going to be a good day.


	6. Chapter 5: Movie Night

**A/N: Chapter uploaded a day after Monday... ooops. I'm really sorry I messed up the scheduled date guys, but a whole lot of crap happened, and I'm sure you don't have time for my crap, so... let's just say life got in the way.**

 **Again, I'm sorry guys, and now, onwards to the chapter!**

* * *

Nebula groaned slightly as she made her way to the common room. She didn't even have strength to drag herself to 'her' hangar. It was more than a week since she started the N.E.S.T. training, but she felt as if it was a year of grueling work, and she was beat. The girl threw herself flatly at the couch she spotted nearby with a loud thump, letting her tense muscles relax at last.

"Hey, kiddo, what'cha doin'?"

Nebula sent a vicious glare at Skidds, who was hovering over her, with Mudflap not far behind his twin. She told the two to not call her kid, but the two seemingly decided to do exactly the opposite. Guess they picked up how much it annoyed her, but as of now she was so tired she didn't find the strength in herself to tell them off.

"Letting myself rest." She answered with a huff. "I'm so beat the only thing I can do is to lay here, maybe watch some movies."

The Twins have perked up at that. "Movies?"

Nebula shot the two an incredulous look. "You don't know what movies are?"

"Psh, please, we're not stupid." Skidds shrugged nonchalantly.

"'Course we know what movies are." Mudflap added.

"It's just… we've never seen any human movies."

"Yeah. The rest don't seem to want to watch anything… bunch of losers."

"And we didn't have much time to really relax lately…"

"Okay, that does it." Nebula sat upright on her spot, a determined expression on her face. "We are so gonna have a movie night. Right now."

The Twins shot Nebula surprised looks in return. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously." The girl nodded firmly. "We are gonna have an Autobot movie night. And you two are gonna help me." A pair of wide grins was all she earned in return.

Not a long time later, a small commotion was going on inside the Autobot common room. The 'Bots themselves were gathered at the entrance, as well as some soldiers, peeking through the door at the ruckus inside, some with confused, some with excited expressions.

It eventually caught Prime's attention, and the mech strode towards the crowd with a curious look. "What is the cause of all this?"

"Look for yourself, Prime." Ironhide answered him with a small smirk as Chromia and a few others let out some giggles and chuckles. Optimus' optic ridges went higher at that, and the mech leaned slightly forward to take a better look thought the opening.

The place was in chaos, all thanks to the Twins. The furniture previously stationed in different parts of the room was now haphazardly pushed up against the walls, creating a vast amount of empty space, now being filled by the Autobot duo with loads of pillows, blankets and anything comfy they were able to find. The only piece of furniture that remained on its place was a single desk and a chair, currently occupied by Nebula as the girl tinkered with a projector hooked up to a laptop on the table.

"Okay you two, everything's set, I think, so the only thing we have to do is…" the girl paused slightly as she noticed the small crowd at the entrance of the hangar before a wide grin appeared on her face. "Oh, great, we don't have to look for you guys."

"What's all this?" Jolt asked hesitantly as he strode inside, the rest of the team following suit. At that, Nebua's smile got even wider. "Why, it's a set up for an Autobot movie night."

Lennox, who tagged along as well, snorted slightly. "Autobot movie night?"

"Yeah." Nebula shrugged nonchalantly. "Me and the Twins figured we all deserve some time to relax and have fun, so we came up with this."

Ratchet scoffed at that, folding his arms. "I don't see a point in this whole idea rather than Twins slacking off. What do you think, Prime?"

All eyes and optics landed on the Autobot leader then. He had the final word in it, after all. Optimus' faceplates scrunched a bit in concentration as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…"

"Oh, c'mon, Optimus." Sideswipe finally cut in. "It's been Vorns since we did something like that, and 'Cons have been under the radar for some time as well. It won't hurt to take one day off, right?"

A few sounds of agreement rang through the air, and eventually Optimus nodded slightly in response. "Yes, I suppose you are right, Sideswipe. You have my permission." At that, a few woops and cheers filled the room as Prime turned, heading back for the entrance.

"Wait, where are you going Optimus?" Nebula's voice stopped the mech dead in his tracks. He glanced down at the young woman, and then answered curtly. "To my room."

At Nebula's confused look Arcee cut in, strolling a little towards her. "Primes don't party. Or relax, in this matter."

You frowned deeply at her explanation. "Well, that won't do. Everyone's gonna watch movies tonight, and that includes you too, mister." She pointed a finger at the perplexed Prime. "Even if I'd have to drag you there myself."

At the lack of response whatsoever from the mech the girl groaned slightly, and strode behind him. Then, she started to push one of his pedes towards the made up seats, seemingly unaware of the snickers coming from both humans and Cybertronians. "Just… move… already…"

For the first time in a long while, Optimus was unsure what to do, whether ignore Nebula completely and go to his room, or honor her request. The mech was once again amazed at how the girl appeared so straightforward with her feelings and actions around the bots, if not completely careless of the fact they were thirty-feet metal giants, who could easily turn her into a pile of flesh and blood if wanted so. Eventually, he decided to humor the girl.

"Very well." Was all he said before he slowly started in that direction. Nebula stumbled slightly at the sudden move, but as she straightened back up, a victorious grin graced her lips. It took her a moment to realize the room went almost deafeningly quiet all of the sudden. Then she noticed the Autobots staring at her in bewilderment. "…What?"

"Dude. She made Prime do something she wanted." Mudflap whisper-yelled to his twin in a mix of shock and small amount of new respect.

"No fragging way." His brother responded in the same tone.

Nebula sent annoyed look towards the twins, thinking they were just exaggerating, as always. "Cut that crap out. C'mon, let's start this thing already." She said in a cheerful voice, strolling towards the desk with a laptop and the projector facing the opposite wall.

"So, what are we gonna watch?" Lennox asked, following Nebula while the Autobots, as well as some soldiers took the places they chose to sit on.

The girl shrugged in response. "Anything really. It's gonna be practically a marathon, so everyone gets to choose one movie for themselves." She turned to the Autobots while saying this. "We've got a lot of different genres; action films, horrors, comedy, romance… well, maybe you won't want that last one… but, the point is, every one of you'll find something interesting." She grinned widely, sitting on the chair. "So, what you wanna watch, guys?"

"Oh, oh, Let's watch "Let's be cops"! I wanna something to laugh at!" Skidds jumped on his spot excitedly, waving his hand at Nebula.

"No way bro, let's watch "The wolf of Walls Street"!" Mudflap cut in abruptly.

"I was first, you tin can!" The green mech pushed his twin with annoyance.

"Sorry Mudflap, first come first served. "Let's be cops" it is. But you're gonna go next, 'key?" Nebula said with a chuckle, picking the chosen movie and playing it on the wall. She jumped onto the pillows nearby as the movie started, readying for the show.

The first movie came and passed, then the next one ,and another, but Optimus didn't seem to really pay attention to them, but rather caught himself casting a glance now and again at Nebula. She had a different kind of air around her today. More… cheerful.

"Okay, my turn!" Nebula exclaimed cheerfully, jumping up from her seat and skipping towards the laptop. "I didn't watch this in a long time, but it's one of my favorites, so, here we go." She said as she tapped the keyboard rapidly and then clicked the movie. A few skeptical and annoyed huffs washed over the audience as the intro of "Beauty and the Beast" came into view.

"Seriously?" Epps scoffed slightly. "That's kids' cartoon!"

"Yeah, so what?" Nebula snapped back. "I'm not a kid, but I like it nonetheless. Plus, it's my turn, so I get to watch whatever I want." With that, the girl promptly sat back on her previous place.

"What is it about?" Arcee asked, seeming genuinely curious.

"In short, it's about a normal girl that gets stuck in a cursed castle with its prince turned into a beast, and he needs her to fall in love with him to break the spell casted on the castle and himself, but he has a horrible character and the two don't get along that well. But eventually she sees past his appearance, and starts to love him, and the spell's broken. Basically, it's about love despite the differences, both in appearance and in character. Gosh, the ending gets me every time."

The girl watched intently what was going on on the wall which made up the screen, seemingly enjoying herself. Her excited expression made Prime's mouth plates twitch a little upwards in a ghost of a smile.

"She's happier, you know?"

Optimus stirred slightly, a bit startled at an unexpected voice, and then his optics landed on Lennox's human form, sitting beside him. "Oh?"

Major nodded slightly with a small smirk in response. "Yeah. Remember when she first arrived at the base? She was quiet and hesitant about everything she was doing, but now she's bursting with energy and crazy ideas, like this one." The man chuckled slightly. "Guess we're slowly getting to know the real her, all thanks to you guys."

Optimus cocked an optic ridge at that. "I do not see how it is our achievement."

"Trust me, it is. She's lost her parents not so long ago, and we humans tend to attach to other people pretty quickly to replace our losses, so we can cope with our pain better. You guys are her family now, even if she didn't say that."

"… How do you know that?"

"Experience. It's quite common in families of the dead soldiers."

A realization struck Optimus, and the mech simply nodded in response, returning his gaze to the girl buried in blankets up in the front 'row'. If that was true, if she really considered Autobots as her new family… then it was their responsibility to take care of her, and protect her.

As well as Optimus'.

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 **A/N: Well, wow Nebula sure does regain her energy real quick, doesn't she? xDD I know, I know, cliche as hell, but I just REALLY wanted to do this. Sue me.**


	7. Chapter 6: Overprotective?

**A/N: Before we start, I want to point out I have no idea how typical soldier training goes, so everything in this chapter was made up entirely and may or may not differ from reality. (paintball thing is 100% not possible in reality xD) Understood? Good. Now, onto the chapter!**

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Nebula looked up in surprise.

"Optimus…?"

The girl was standing in the middle of the clearing, tall trees surrounding her from all sides. And right in front of her was towering the leader of the Autobots. Although he looked… battered. Like he was just pulled out of an intense battlefield. And this faraway look in his optics…

"Optimus, are you-"

"Run, Sam," the mech suddenly cut her off. "Run."

Nebula blinked once in utter confusion. Sam? Did he mean Sam Witwicky? Why would he tell him to run? That doesn't make any sense. Yes, she's met the boy not so long ago, when he visited the bots with his Camaro that turned out to be an Autobot scout named Bumblebee, Sam's guardian, but what's so important for him to-

Suddenly, Optimus' chest plates bursted wide open, and a huge hole appeared in the center of his torso. The mech let out a long whine of agony before his giant body crumbled down, making the ground shake as it fell.

"Optimus!" Nebula shrieked, taking off into a run towards the laying Cybertronian. "Optimus, can you hear me?! Wake up!"

She didn't receive any sign of life from the Autobot leader, his optics being just cold mechanical devices, deprived of their brilliant blue light. "Optimus… I-I don't understand… W-Why…?"

The girl was shaking. Big, fat tears welled up in her eyes, then ran down her cheeks in rivers. She was so very confused. What did just happened? Why did Optimus say Sam to run? How did she end up here in the first place? Hell, _where_ was here?

A growl sounded above them both, so unlike the sounds any wild animal could produce. Nebula shot her head up in a snap, and her bloodied eyes widened in bewildered terror as a massive figure made of metal loomed above, a pair of ruby optics staring her down in hatred. The unknown Cybertronian was wielding a staff of sorts, leaning slightly towards the two.

Nebula suddenly realized there's no sign of Optimus' dead body, and she isn't in the forest anymore, but in the middle of what looked like a desert, pyramids growing up from the dunes of sand. What-

The sound of a siren belonging to an ambulance jolted Nebula wide awake, causing the girl to flail in surprise with a yelp before she fell out of her bed and onto the ground. "Ow! What the bloody…"

The girl scrambled to her feet and then rushed to her window. An expression of high annoyance covered her face at the sight of the culprit of her morning wake-up call.

"What the _hell_ , Ratchet?" she shouted as she opened the window.

"A wake up call," the yellow ambulance replied flatly. "The NEST training will start soon. Get ready."

"First of all, my definition of soon isn't, like, in two hours, Ratchet. Second, why would you wake me up when you know well I have my own alarm set?"

"I'm supposed to be your escort to your place of destination. Optimus' orders."

Nebula gave the medic a deadpan look. "The training hangar is, like, half a mile from here."

"I'm not pleased with this arrangement either."

The girl sighed slightly in response. "Okay, just give me a moment. I'll be down soon." she said before she shut the window behind her. True to her words, fifteen minutes later she was found by the ambulance.

"Get in." Ratchet said, the passenger door swinging open as he spoke. Nebula obeyed silently, and the vehicle started its engine. "Let's get you something to eat first." The ambulance started in the direction of the cafeteria. Silence fell over the two like a fog over the hills as Ratchet drove.

"… Hey, Ratchet?" Nebula finally broke the silent spell. The mech grumbled slightly before he responded; "Yes?"

"When is Optimus going back from his mission?"

"In a couple of hours. In fact, he should be able to pick you up after the training today. Why?"

"Just curious," the girl dismissed quickly, not wanting Ratchet to know the nightmare you've experienced just before waking up was bugging her immensely. The two soon arrived at the cafeteria, and Nebula jumped out of the ambulance.

The girl soon was seen sitting by one of the many tables sprawled around the place full of soldiers, munching on an apple added to her breakfast in a shape of a sandwich. Her mind was wandering back to that horrible dream. She could easily tell why she was dreaming of Optimus being killed. The death of her parents was still fresh in her mind, and the fact she was now surrounded by soldiers that fought against an alien enemy, who could die basically any day, Autobots included, wasn't really helping in her fears. What's more, she couldn't deny the fact she became extremely attached to the Autobot leader for these past few months. It was a known fact for everyone at the base that if she wasn't with the blue/red mech, she had the knowledge where said mech was. She also noticed a strange, fluttery feeling erupting in her chest every time her eyes landed on the metal giant. He had just that weird, magical ability to make a smile crawl up her face and tint her cheeks pink…

Nebula shook her head as she stood up. This was not a good time thinking about such things. Besides, that wouldn't even work, they're two different species. The girl threw the trash to the bin at the exit, getting rid of the thought of a certain Autobot leader as well, and then she got back into the ambulance awaiting her outside.

"Speaking of my training, Ratchet," she started the conversation again as the medic took off. "Will told me I should decide which AIT (Advanced Individual Training, for those who don't know what that is) I'd take in the next two weeks. So, I was thinking, if I'm apparently gonna stay here after all… I could take a Cybertronian version of AHS…?" (Academy of Health Sciences, basically medical school)

There was a moment of stunned silence before a sigh was heard from Ratchet's speakers. "You still want me to teach you, is that correct?"

"Look, before you reject the idea, hear me out." you quickly spoke up. "The N.E.S.T. has many qualified human medics and engineers, but they can operate _only_ in the _human-related_ field, because of their lack of knowledge about Cybertronian biomechanics. And even with you and Jolt here, there's only that much you two can do. Twins get minor injuries almost every day, due to their stupidity, Sideswipe tends to be a little rash during fights, not to mention our trigger-happy Ironhide. Heck, even the femmes get back from some missions pretty battered, and, no offence, but your hands are a bit too large for smaller operations. And I won't try and learn how to build your weapons, honest. What I mean is-"

"Nebula, stop," the girl shut her mouth instantly at that. "We're here."

Nebula shot her gaze out the windshield and, sure enough, they were parked in front of the hangar. "Oh.." was all she said before she reluctantly climbed out of the ambulance. "And, Nebula," she turned back to the mech with a questioning look. "I'll… think about your proposition."

Nebula paused for a moment in surprise, but then a warm smile bloomed on her lips. It wasn't a perfect answer, but it was certainly something. "Thanks, Ratchet." she said. With that, the ambulance drove away, leaving the girl on her own. Nebula quickly got to the changing rooms, changed into her workout outfit and rushed back to the meeting point. Just in time, the drill sergeant was just gathering everyone for warm-ups. Well, it was basically like an ordinary warm-ups in PE. Just more excruciating, but Nebula managed. Somehow.

"Alright, peeps," the drill sergeant yelled after the warm-ups were done. "Today's goal is your team work. Now, some of you might or might not think you need that, but each and every one of you must get it through your thick, filled with hormones heads that, once you've finished the training, you'll be working IN A TEAM." he yelled at the end of his little speech. "So I'm gonna pair you up in teams."

Then he started shouting names from his list of recruits. "Nebula, with Moore!"

Nebula jerked slightly at her name being shouted, and then looked to the side as she noticed a young woman with curly, short brown hair striding towards her. "Hey there, pal." she greeted Nebula cheerfully.

The face struck Nebula with familiarity. She tried to remember the woman's name. Oh, right. It's Sheena. She was one of the best sharpshooters around the freshman.

"Hi, Sheena. Hope we'll get on well as a team." the girl said as the two set out to prepare the hangar for their exercise, whatever it was supposed to be, with all those barricades being built by everyone.

"Same here," the young woman replied with a small chuckle. "I bet it's gonna be fun, being teamed up with the infamous Nebula."

The girl blinked once in surprise. "Infamous?"

"Yeah." Sheena nodded with a chuckle. "Practically everyone knows Nebula, the girl that changed her name into more alien-like one and lives with the Autobots."

"First of all, it's NOT more alien-like name. I just happen to like an ideology regarding names that Optimus told me about, and 'nebula' is a human term." Nebula retorted with irritation clear in her voice. "Second, you know the Autobots?"

" 'Know' is a bit overzealous phrase," the woman said begrudgingly, scratching her neck. "All you need to know, is that I was present during the Chicago attack."

"Oh…" was all Nebula said. She heard about the Chicago attack from the news, and knew even more so after she was moved to the N.E.S.T. "Was anyone of your…?"

"Thankfully, no," Sheena replied with a crooked smile. "I was just visiting my auntie there, and she was safe in her house when the attack happened. I was out in the city, so I got to see the robots in action."

Nebula let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

Their little conversation was suddenly cut short when the drill sergeant shouted out once again. "C'mon, people, get your gear and start this thing before lunch, okay!?"

The two females quickly followed Epps' orders and got their pads, protective goggles and weapons. Nebula paused for a moment, taking a closer look at the gun in her hand. "Wait. Is that…?"

"Yep," Sheena confirmed, loading her own weapon with almost insanely wide grin plastered all over her face. "A paintball gun."

Nebula shot her a grin of her own in response. Now she understood why they were building those barricades all around the place. They were going to ace this exercise.

"Now the rules," the drill sergeant once more cut in. "You work in pairs to eliminate every other team in play. Pick whatever strategy you want. No headshots, no foul moves. Close combat allowed to an extent. Best 5 get a free day, worst 5 clean the mess after the exercise. Understood? Great, now get on with it!"

With that, the paintball war has begun, and, sure enough, Nebula and Sheena aced it. Well, maybe they didn't get on top of the game, but still managed to hit the best 5 goal, and that's an accomplishment.

"Sorry I got us kicked out back there," Nebula said apologetically, splashes of colorful paint apparent on her suit and skin here and there, as she and Sheena went to the shower rooms to clean themselves up. "Nonsense," Sheena opposed. "That was pretty awesome how you tripped that one guy who tried ambush me. But damn, you're fast. They couldn't even land a hit on you for a long time."

Nebula laughed at that. "That was because you were picking them out like ducks. Anyway, that exercise was fun. We should have those kinds of training more often."

"Totally agreed."

The two quickly washed the paint off of their bodies in their separate places, changed into some fresh clothes as they threw their dirty ones to wash, and then head out of the hangar together.

"It was fun teaming up with you, Nebula," Sheena said with a big smile on her face. "Wanna hang out sometime?"

"Yeah, sure, that'd be awesome." Nebula agreed with a smile matching Sheena's, and the two shared a fist bump. Then, a blue semi with red flames rolled in, coming to a slow halt right in front of the females.

"…Is that…?"

"Yes," Nebula replied to Sheena's not finished question with a wide grin on her face. "Yes, it is."

"Okay, well, I'm not gonna get in between you and a giant flippin' robot, so I'm gonna go now. See you around, yeah?" with final wave, Sheena vanished from sight in a matter of seconds, leaving highly amused Nebula with the leader of the Autobots. Then, a small frown crawled up her face. The girl didn't waste any time, and climbed up into the semi, which opened the passenger door for her beforehand.

"Hello, Nebula," Optimus' rich voice rang from the speakers the moment she strapped in.

"Hi, Optimus. Good to see you back from your mission." the girl replied, readying herself for the upcoming serious conversation with the Prime. "Hey, I've got a free day today, so, can we go for a drive?" she asked quietly, hoping he'd say 'yes'.

"I don't see anything wrong in it." the mech, thankfully, complied. "Very well. Let us go."

And with that, the two drove away and out of the main base, onto the empty road that circled the island. There wasn't really much to see, just sand, the ocean, and some palm trees popping out of the grass, but hey, it was something.

After a good while of silent drive, Nebula finally spoke up. "Hey, Optimus?"

"Yes?"

"I know you made every Autobot on the base to babysit me. I want to know why."

There was a small pause before Optimus replied. "I can assure you, Nebula, there was no ill intent in this. I was merely concerned for your safety."

Nebula gave the steering wheel an incredulous look. "Optimus, you're exaggerating. I AM safe. I'm currently living in a highly classified base, going through a military training, for goodness sake! Heck, I spend almost all of my free time with one of the Bots anyway! I am the one who should be worried about YOUR safety. I was worried all day yesterday if you'll be back in one piece or not."

"That is not necessary," the mech replied. "I have fought in the war for eons. I am fully capable of taking care of myself."

Nebula went to argue with the Prime more, but then paused, and after a few moments a small chuckle escaped her lips. "Guess we both are a bit overprotective of each other," she said with an amused snicker.

"I… believe so," Optimus eventually agreed. "I am truly sorry if it came to you that way. I promise I will refrain from that from now on."

"And I promise to be careful of myself, as long as you do, Optimus." the girl said, nodding her head in a silent resolve.

"I have one more thing to declare." Optimus continued as the silhouettes of military hangars came into view, announcing the end of the ride.

"Oh, what is it?"

"I spoke to Ratchet about your further training as a soldier. We came into a conclusion your reasoning is quite sound."

A huge grin stretched out on Nebula's face. She knew exactly what that meant. She's gonna be Ratchet's apprentice, just like Jolt.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, Nebula's one lucky girl, eh? But I get the feeling Optimus used his magical persuasion skills on Ratchet with that one, at least a bit... don'tcha think? ^^ *wink wonk***


End file.
